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Investing Guides
Index funds, ETFs, market returns and long-run compounding — how investing works before you pick anything.
Compound Interest Examples: 15 Real-World Scenarios Explained
Quick Answer: Compound interest examples show how the formula A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt) applies in real financial situations — from a $10,000 GIC compounding…
Read articleInvestingAverage Stock Market Return: Historical Data Explained
What the long-run average return of the S&P 500 actually measures, why the average is a poor description of any single year, and how inflation and…
Read articleInvestingCompound Growth Calculator: Project Your Portfolio Growth
Quick Answer: A compound growth calculator projects how a portfolio with an existing balance grows over time when you add regular contributions. It…
Read articleInvestingHow to Start Investing in 2026
Build the foundation first — emergency fund, no high-interest debt — then choose an account, pick a low-cost diversified fund, and automate the…
Read articleInvestingIndex Fund Investing Explained for Beginners
An index fund tracks a market index by holding all of its constituents rather than trying to beat it. Here is how index funds work, what they cost, and…
Read articleInvestingInvesting for Beginners: How to Start Building Wealth
What investing actually is, how risk and return relate, which account types exist in Canada and the US, and how a beginner builds a portfolio without…
Read articleInvestingHow to Use an Investment Calculator Properly
An investment calculator projects compound growth from the assumptions you feed it. Here is how to choose realistic inputs, read the output, and avoid the…
Read articleInvestingIndex Funds vs ETFs: Which Should You Choose?
Both index funds and ETFs can be excellent choices for beginners. The key insight is that ETF is a structure (traded on an exchange) while "index fund"…
Read articleInvestingHow Much Will $500 a Month Grow? Complete Investment Projections
Quick answer: $500/month invested at 7% annual return grows to approximately $87,000 after 10 years, $262,000 after 20 years, and $611,000 after 30 years.…
Read articleFor the full framework behind these guides, read the Investing pillar. To model the numbers yourself: Investment calculator, Compound interest calculator, RRSP calculator and TFSA calculator.
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